1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hemostatic agent comprising an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose. The present invention also relates to an agent for promoting cellular adhesion and an agent for curing an injury, which agent contains an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose. The hemostatic agent, the agent for promoting cellular adhesion, and the agent for curing an injury according to the present invention are assimilatable in a living body, and may be sprinkled on or applied to an injury to a skin surface or an injury at a site of an intracorporeal tissue to accelerate blood coagulation and cellular adhesion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Three types of hemostatic agents for injuries are mainly known; an oxidized cellulose preparation, a gelatin preparation and a microfibrous collagen preparation, and these are used as a drug or medical supply. The oxidized cellulose preparation includes polygluconic anhydrides as a main component. The polygluconic anhydride has a strong affinity for hemoglobin, and thus forms a salt with hemoglobin whereby a hemostatic effect is exhibited. It is believed that the above effect to promote coagulation is not due to a blood coagulation process in a living body but to a physical effect. That is, the oxidized cellulose preparation is swollen by an infiltration of blood to promote a formation of brown or black gelatinous clots or coagula, which act as a hemastatic auxiliary agent for a bleeding region. The oxidized cellulose preparation is assimilated in the course of about 2 weeks. The microfibrous collagen preparation contains, as a main component, naturally occurring collagen extracted from bovine dermis or the like, so that it forms a platelet-agglutination upon coming into contact with blood to conduct a hemostasis.
However, the oxidized cellulose preparation does not act directly on the blood coagulation process, and the coagulating effect is poor. Further, a complete assimilation in a living body takes about 2 weeks, and thus it may cause inflammation or conglutination at the site where the oxidized cellulose preparation is applied.
The gelatin preparation has a less assimilability than the oxidized cellulose preparation. Also, the gelatin preparation contains materials taken from animals, and there is a high possibility of the transference of infectious diseases, such as a prion disease (or spongiform encephalopathy).
Regarding the microfibrous collagen preparation, a complete assimilation thereof takes at least one month, and thus the preparation might cause inflammation or conglutination in an injured site. Further, the materials are taken from a bovin, and thus there is a danger of the occurrence of the prion disease or infectious diseases caused by an unknown virus.
In a hemostasis carried out by conventional hemostatic agents as above, defects occur in that the intracorporeal assimilatability of the hemostatic agents is low, the hemostatic agents cause inflammation, conglutination and so on, and the possibility of the occurrence of unknown infectious diseases exists.
The present inventors engaged in studies to solve the above problems and as a result found that sodium or calcium of carboxylmethyl cellulose exhibits a hemostatic function, and a function to promote cellular adhesion, and can act as a novel hemostatic agent for covering an injury.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to remedy the defects of prior art and to provide a hemostatic agent wherein a hemostatic action provided is very rapid and effective, an inflammation reaction rarely occurs, an intracorporeal assimilatability is excellent, a curing effect of injuries is high, and an infection by an unknown pathogen can be completely prevented.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a hemostatic agent comprising an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an agent for promoting cellular adhesion, comprising an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
Still further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an agent for curing an injury, the agent comprising an alkali metal or alkali earth metal salt of carboxylmethyl cellulose, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.